Man charged after attic full of pot plants catches fire

Chicago Police Dept.

Jermaine Jones

Jermaine Jones (Chicago Police Dept.)

Rosemary Regina SobolTribune reporter

A Chicago man has been charged with running an "extensive cannabis growing operation" out of his Far South Side home which was discovered when Chicago firefighters responded to a fire in the attic this morning.

"What they discovered was what looked like a marijuana-growing operation," Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said. "There were a lot of extension cords being run all over the place."

Officers recovered over 100 cannabis plants and over 50,000 grams of cannabis, with a street value of over $300,000, police said.

Jermaine Jones, 36, was charge with felony charges of possessing between 30 to 500 grams of cannibis and producing between 50 and 200 cannabis plants, police said.

The fire started around 8:45 a.m. in the attic of Jones a 2½-story frame home in the 9700 block of South Eggleston Avenue in the Longwood Manor neighborhood, Langford said. The fire was put out in about 10 minutes and no injuries were reported, he said.

Firefighters found marijuana plants where the fire had been burning and told police, Langford said.

Police then took Jones into custody, police said.

The Office of Fire Investigation was looking into the blaze, but officials said it was electrical.

Were the firefighters affected by the smoking pot? "They're not affected," Langford said firmly. "Firemen are on their own air supply."